Things Named Helena

Several times in the past year I've gone to the store to purchase some non-trivial item, an MP3 player, a dictaphone, a multi-tool, a laptop, a trail knife and myriad of audio gear all come to mind. Each of these items came encased in a sarcophagus of disposable packaging, boxes, blister packs, styrofoam, bubble wrap and paper.

Each of these items must be portable and thus require a means of storage during conveyance, a case. So I go to a different store and purchase sheaths, a shoulder carrier and pelican cases. Each of these things comes wrapped in packaging as well, often more packaging than came with the item that the case is meant to contain.

Is this really necessary?

Since a case is simply a permanent form of packaging, just sell me the item already in the case, thus saving me time and the world waste.* Trip, money, two sets of packaging, four birds with one stone.

The only thing I own that came with it's own convenient case is my set of poker chips. The one thing that, were I to take it anywhere, I could just throw in a shoebox.

Really, where did our sense of practicality go?



*I realize that this isn't entirely feasible with some items, laptops for instance. People are picky about how they transport such things. It works for most others since the cases for most electronics and virtually all outdoor gear have to be tailored to the item they contain.